Debate heats up over free movement of experts in EAC

Kampala. Cross-border trade in professional services generated a heated debate at the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) here on Monday with the MPs insisting there were still hurdles hindering its smooth implementation as required under the Common Market Protocol.

While some regional legislators said not all professionals have been covered by the Protocol, others maintained that East African Community (EAC) partner states were yet to harmonise their laws in line with adoption of common approaches on the matter.

“The schedules of the Common Market in their current format are also not open for all professionals but certain sectors,” said Mr Abubakar Ogle from Kenya when the House discussed the draft of EAC Cross Border Trade in Professional Services Bill. introduced by Fred Mukassa Mbidde from Uganda last year.

The lawmaker from Kenya underscored the need for the House to be duly informed on the professional services which have been accepted by all the partner states and those which are still under consideration.

According to the mover of the bill, the proposed legislation intends to see to it that all professionals are allowed to crisscross the region as they render their services in line with the Common Market Protocol which came into force in July 2010.

But Mr Ogle said in reality each of the five EAC member countries (South Sudan is yet to be fully integrated) had its regulatory framework governing its labour market as well as the professional standards it has set which is different from fellow countries in the bloc.